Westat, a private employee-owned social science research firm in Rockville, Maryland, is seeking individuals who are interested in getting experience and learning about social science as applied in the “real world.” We offer internships for African American, Hispanic/Latino American, and Native American/Alaskan Native students in social science research including child welfare, education, human factors, public health, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and transportation. Eligible individuals hold a bachelor’s degree and have an interest in attending graduate school or are already in a master’s or doctoral degree program and considering a possible career in research. The successful candidates will work with existing project teams and participate in tasks such as conducting focus groups, analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, writing findings, planning steps in a research project, writing proposals, conducting interviews, and other interesting activities. Each intern will also have a professional-level staff member serve as his or her mentor to oversee the experience. Mentors and interns will meet on a regular basis to explore the experience, examine various issues that have arisen, and discuss their professional development. Another component of the internship program is a weekly seminar series that includes a description of Westat’s research areas and projects, and topics related to the fundamentals of working in a research environment such as knowing about contracts, grants, and research ethics.
Qualifications
- BA or BS in any social science and/or working in related master’s or doctoral program
- Some research experience
- Working knowledge of basic statistics
- Interest in graduate studies
- Facility in MS Windows, SPSS and/or SAS,
Excel, and Word - Good writing skills
- Open to learning new skills
Time frame
The internship program runs for 10 weeks, from June 1 through mid-August. The end date may
vary. Applications will be accepted now through February 28th.
Compensation
$17 per hour
Application Procedure
Send resume & cover letter expressing interest to:
Donna D. Atkinson, Ph.D.
Westat
1600 Research Blvd., RB4157
Rockville, MD 20850-3195
Or electronically mail resume and cover letter to:
SummerInternProg-DM@westat.com
If you have any questions, please contact
Dr. Atkinson at DonnaAtkinson@Westat.com
or (240) 453-2761.
About Westat: Westat provides research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments. In addition to our capabilities as a leading statistical survey research organization, Westat has developed skills and experience in custom research and program evaluation studies across a broad range of subject areas. Westat also has the technical expertise in survey and analytical methods, computer systems technology, biomedical science, and clinical trials to sustain a leadership position in all our research endeavors.
